


A Guide to Tagging on AO3

by lieyuu



Category: Dream SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Gen, Guides, How Do I Tag, ironically enough i have no idea how to tag this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28080729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lieyuu/pseuds/lieyuu
Summary: This is not a fic.I've put in a few relevant tags to the fandom this centers around (so people see it), but this is not a fic and does not include any content of aforementioned tags. Rather, this is a guide on using tags on Ao3, because I noticed someone else getting a little pressed about it, and thought, well, Ao3's systemishard to get used to, especially if you come from Wattpad (which works completely differently).So! Welcome to Ao3, happy to have you here! If you need any sort of help with the tags, this is the guide for you. Feel free to leave other questions in the comments.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Comments: 82
Kudos: 318





	1. Intro + Checkbox Tags

**Author's Note:**

> This is an Author's Note! There's no need to have your notes in the summary (unless you think it's something people need to see before opening the fic) or fic itself, because Ao3 has this at the beginning and end of each chapter.

Hey there! Recently, I noticed a fic under the **Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)** which… was a little aggressive. ‘Fic’ isn’t entirely accurate, as it was actually a short rant on Ao3 etiquette and the number of people in this fandom who are new to this site.

Now. They brought up some valid points, and I will say that it is usually extremely easy to tell who came from Wattpad (or FFN, but I have personally never used that site so I wouldn’t know as much). However - **there is nothing wrong with this.** Welcome to Ao3, I’m glad you’re here!

As was pointed out in the rant, a lot of people from Wattpad don’t know how to use Ao3 tags. Which is completely understandable - it’s a whole different system, and Wattpad’s search/tagging function is actually terrible (seriously - I used the site for maybe two or three years? Like, _all_ the fics I read were by my friends, recced by friends, or popped up on my homepage because people I followed interacted with them. The search function was So Unhelpful.)

So I thought I’d write up an actual guide on Ao3 tags. This is in no way exhaustive, but I hope you can consider it a place to start! 

**Rating**

Pretty self-explanatory, so I’ll keep this short. **Please, please, please make sure you use the correct rating, to keep everyone’s experience the best it can be.** There are **five ratings** you can use on Ao3:

  * **Not Rated**
    * Exactly what it sounds like - the fic doesn’t have a rating. It will be treated as ‘Explicit’ (i.e. you’ll be asked if you’re sure you want to proceed before opening it), but the fic itself has no expectations attached to it.
  * **General Audiences**
    * This fic is for anyone and everyone!


  * **Teen And Up Audiences**
    * This fic shouldn’t be read by people under the age of thirteen, but is fair game for anyone else.
    * Generally, fics with swearing or innuendos in them would go under this tag. 
  * **Mature**
    * These are fics that would be considered ‘adult’ in a library - with themes like sex and violence. However, these themes are not explored as graphically. 
    * The line between **Mature** and **Explicit** tend to be a little blurred - make liberal use of Additional tags and Warnings, and use your best judgement when it comes to picking between these two. 


  * **Explicit**
    * Also considered adult in a library. Graphic depictions of adult themes, like sex.
    * This is where your **Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot** fics would go.



As a note - Ao3 does have descriptions of these ratings! If you click the little question mark next to **Rating*** when posting a fic, it’ll show you their descriptions. I rewrote them with a few examples for cohesiveness, but the existing versions are very helpful already. 

**Archive Warnings**

Again, pretty self-explanatory, so this will be brief. **And again, please make sure you add all necessary warnings.**

  * **Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings**
    * Exactly what it sounds like - the author has chosen not to use any warnings. Proceed at your own risk. **This does not mean that no warnings apply.**
    * This tag is usually used when one or more of the other tags may apply, but the author wants to avoid spoilers.
  * **Graphic Depictions of Violence**
    * Violence is depicted graphically.
    * Yeah, there’s not much to say about it.
  * **Major Character Death**
    * A major character dies - usually someone emotionally or plot important. There is a tag under Additional Tags known as [**Minor Character Death**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Minor%20Character%20Death/works), so if you’re not sure the character is major enough to warrant this tag, be aware that this does also exist.
  * **No Archive Warnings Apply**
    * Nothing else mentioned here applies. This fic still might be sad or have darker themes, but take a look at the Additional Tags to find out.
  * **Rape/Non-con**
    * Rape or non-consensual activities are present in this fic. Non-con includes forced kissing, graphically described sexual harassment, etc etc.
    * There are, again, milder Additional Tags - **[Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Implied*s*Referenced%20Rape*s*Non-con/works)** for example **.** This additional tag warning is used when it is not discussed or depicted in detail.
  * **Underage**
    * Used for descriptions or depictions of characters under eighteen engaging in sexual conduct. Stuff like kissing is obviously exempt. Use your best judgement with this tag.
    * You’re also free to clarify in your Notes that the characters are aged-up as to avoid this tag.



Again - Ao3 does have descriptions of these warnings! If you click the little question mark next to **Archive Warnings*** when posting a fic, it’ll show you their descriptions. I rewrote them with a few examples for cohesiveness, but the existing versions are very helpful already.

**Categories**

These just clarify what kind of relationships are in your fic.

  * **M/M**


  * **F/F**


  * **M/F**



These are your classic relationship tags - male-presenting/male-presenting, female-presenting/female-presenting, male-presenting/female-presenting. Romantic and sexual relationships involving non-binary people fall under the **Other** tag. 

  * **Gen**
    * Gen means no romantic or sexual relationships, or super background ones instead (which have Additional tags! **background Character A/Character B** or **mentioned/implied Character A/Character B** )
  * **Multi**
    * Officially, this means ‘more than one kind of relationship or a relationship with multiple partners’, but considering you can check multiple boxes under the Categories tag, culturally, this is just ‘relationship with multiple partners’. 
    * Obviously, nothing is stopping you from using it the first way anyways, and everyone will understand what you mean! I just don’t see much of a point to it. 
  * **Other**
    * Other relationships. Generally used for queerplatonic relationships or romantic/sexual relationships involving non-binary people.
    * Much thanks to space_enjolras and fensandmarshes for correcting me on this one!



Category tags mean tags such as **boyxboy** or **gay** are unnecessary. These are canonical Additional Tags, but they aren’t used very often. It’s easier to just use the Categories tags - plus, Categories has a whole section for itself on the ‘filter search’ sidebar!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter covers Fandom, Relationship, and Character tags!


	2. Fandoms, Relationships, Characters

A short note before moving onto Fandoms - canonization, which you’ll probably hear a few times from here on out, is a term used to recognize ‘official’ Ao3 tags. For example, you might find that some tags are super common, like [ **Fluff & Angst** ](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fluff%20and%20Angst) or [ **Hurt/Comfort** ](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Hurt*s*Comfort) . These are _canonized_ tags, and can be filtered on and off.

There are also fandom-specific tags that may be canonized - many TV shows have episode tags that are canonized, and there are enough Slytherin!Harry fics that it’s now a tag you can use ([ **Slytherin Harry Potter** ](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Slytherin%20Harry%20Potter)).

The same tag needs to be used three times by three different authors before it can be considered for canonization (my friends and I are currently trying to get [**Deity Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Deity%20Clay%20%7C%20Dream%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\)) **)** canonized lol*). 

As mentioned, when a tag is canonized it can officially be sorted on and enough. All Ao3 tags are clickable links - non-canonical tags may redirect to a canonical tag they’ve been “synned” to ([ **bottom Dream** ](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/bottom%20dream) redirects to [ **Bottom Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF)** ](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Bottom%20Clay%20%7C%20Dream%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\)) ), [ some will redirect to themselves, ](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Pre-Manberg-Pogtopia%20War%20on%20Dream%20Team%20SMP%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\)/works) and some will redirect to a page that says ‘this tag has not been marked common and can’t be filtered on (yet)’. Non-canonized tags fall under the last category. 

Additionally, Ao3 tagging systems utilize ‘categories’, which means certain tags will be sorted under a bigger, umbrella tag. So, for example, if you’ve already tagged **Dreamnotfound** , there is no need to tag **gream** , because these both redirect to the general [**Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Clay%20%7C%20Dream*s*GeorgeNotFound%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\)/works) tag. On that note, please use the third of these tags if possible. Makes everything look a lot cleaner. 

Some other things - Ao3 tags do allow for spaces and punctuation! You can put pretty much anything in a tag so long as it remains within character limit. 

**Tag rambling** is a concept you may or may not have heard of, but have definitely seen. It’s when an author Says Words like having a conversation, a little like Tumblr tags are often used. 

  * **Example:**
    * Literally anything I have written ever, which isn’t a joke. But I’ll give you an actual example.
    * [this fic, by me, has these "tags"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27981402)
      * Realistic Minecraft, Deity Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream and Eret Are Siblings, King Eret (Video Blogging RPF), They/Them Pronouns for Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Cuddling, sibling relationships, **dream goes to his big sibling for advice bc he made his boyfriend smad, and doesn’t know what to do about it, thats it thats the fic**
      * Bolded tags are tag rambles/rambling. The rest are either canonical tags or tags I made up that mimic canonical tags (i.e. the deity one, as well as the siblings one)



This generally isn’t frowned upon, though tag wranglers (the people who work on canonizing Ao3 tags) might find it annoying. Not sure. You can definitely read more on this at [ ao3commentoftheday ](https://ao3commentoftheday.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, [ who has held an interview with a tag wrangler before ](https://ao3commentoftheday.tumblr.com/tagged/ask-a-wrangler). (This blog is a great resource for all your other ao3 questions, too!)

Generally, tag rambles go in Additional Tags, but nothing is really stopping you from putting them in Relationship or Character tags. Just that most people don’t have much reason to. 

**Fandoms**

Obviously, this guide is one directed at the Dream SMP fandom, so I’ll be using any fandom tags we might use as examples. Feel free to leave questions about other fandoms in the comments!

The Big™ fandom tag we use here is **Video Blogging RPF,** which covers everything on YouTube or Twitch. Other common fandoms under this tag would be **Dan & Phil** , **Hermitcraft** , or **Buzzfeed Unsolved** . (These tend to be stylised as, for example, **Dan & Phil (Video Blogging RPF)** and are “child tags” of the larger **Video Blogging RPF** tag - works tagged Video Blogging RPF without specifying will not show up in the Dan and Phil tag, but works tagged with the Dan and Phil tag will show up in both **Dan and Phil (Video Blogging RPF)** ’s filter and the general **Video Blogging RPF** tag.)

Another tag you can use is **Dream SMP (Video Blogging RPF)** . As mentioned, Ao3’s tagging system utilizes ‘categories’, meaning certain tags also get sorted under a bigger, umbrella tag. See above for how **Dan & Phil (Video Blogging RPF) **is stylized. 

Update: This is not actually true, because **Dan & Phil **apparently got an official YouTuber RPF tag at some point! [Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (Youtube RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Phandom*s*The%20Fantastic%20Foursome%20\(YouTube%20RPF\)/works) is their official tag. And **Dream SMP (Video Blogging RPF)** currently, as far as I can tell, redirects to the general Video Blogging RPF tag. We'll get them soon 😤

Other popular tags include **Minecraft (Video Game)** and **Dreamnotfound** or **Dream Team**. I wouldn’t recommend using these tags, for reasons listed below.

  * **Minecraft**
    * This Minecraft tag was likely developed for the video game, i.e. fics like **Alex/Steve** or **Reader/Enderman**. 
    * Of course, I’m sure at this point there’s enough CC (content creator) fic under this tag that you may as well use it. Just keep in mind this was likely* not the point of its creation.
    * *I don’t know that for certain, but if you take a look at other video game fandoms - such as [**VALORANT (Video Game)**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/VALORANT%20\(Video%20Game\)/works) or [**Undertale (Video Game)**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Undertale%20\(Video%20Game\)/works)\- you’ll see those fics are all about characters within the video game franchise.
    * You might find yourself tempted to tag this as the characters are living in a realistic Minecraft world. Personally, I just like putting **Realistic Minecraft** in the Additional tags, because One Day that will be canonized. One day. I have hope.
  * **Dreamnotfound / Dream Team**
    * These are not fandom tags, these are relationship tags. Additionally, these aren’t canonized tags, so they won’t register as official searches. Ao3 redirects these tags to the general **Video Blogging RPF** tag. 
    * An argument could be made that ‘Dream Team’ is a fandom in and of itself at this point, but Ao3 does not consider it one, and you will be redirected to a tag with a cleaner name. 



On a more general topic, when tagging multiple fandoms, consider the reasoning. Ao3 generally suggests that for **crossovers,** aka stories where characters from one fandom tag meet characters from another fandom tag, to tag both. However, in the case of a **fusion** , where characters from one fandom tag are transposed into the setting of another fandom (i.e. Dream, George, and Sapnap in the Hunger Games or at Hogwarts), only tag the fandom the characters themselves came from. 

**Relationships**

Ah, the Relationships tags. This marks us officially moving onto the more-complicated-than-a-checkbox tags. The first thing to note about relationship tags is the difference between **& ** and **/**. 

**/** \- romantic, sexual, or both.

 **& **\- platonic and/or familial (or like, rivals? Anything that warrants “yes, there is a relationship of a sort here”). 

No matter the kind of relationship, characters tagged will use their full Character Tag (which I go into detail below this section). For example:

  * **Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)**
    * Both characters fall under ‘Video Blogging RPF’, so there’s no need to add it twice.
    * Since this is the official tag, all fics tagged under **dreamnotfound** , **dnf** , **gream** , **dream/george** , etc etc, will redirect to this tag. 


  * **Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & Tommyinnit & Phil Watson **
    * This is the official tag for SBI. I have no idea why there isn’t a **(Video Blogging RPF)** attached to it. As mentioned (I wrote this out of order, so just realized this is actually mentioned later on), Ao3 tags aren’t always super consistent. 
    * Edit: fensandmarshes has corrected me and pointed out that it’s because that would run over the character limit, which I had honestly forgotten about. He’s great. I love him. 



You can stack as many characters in one relationship tag as fits in the character limit. However, you’ll probably also have the option of a “Character A & Everyone” tag, which may or may not redirect to anything, but is cleaner for the sake of your readers. 

Depending on the fandom, you might even have an **Everyone Is Poly Because X** tag! As far as I’m aware, there isn’t a Dream Team one yet, but like, there _could_ be. Remember, three fics, by three separate authors ;) The tag would be **Everyone is Poly Because Dream Team**. Just, if anyone’s curious,

Additionally, there are some other markers you can use on relationship tags. These are all tags that can go in either Relationship or Additional Tags; all that changes is how it redirects. In the relationships category, it will redirect to said relationship’s general tag, which isn’t necessarily true for tags in the additional category. 

I’ll be using slash relationships in all these examples, but they (mostly) work for & relationships too!

  * **background Character A/Character B**
  * What it says on the tin. This relationship is present in the background, but the fic is not focused on them, and doesn’t devote a lot of time to them. This is helpful for people who do not want to see this ship at all and can thus filter it out, while also preventing this fic from showing up in the general A/B tag so that people who are looking for A/B-centric works do not have to scroll past it.
  * **mentioned/implied Character A/Character B**
    * Again, what it says on the tin. This relationship was mentioned or implied, but may not necessarily be actively in the background of the fic.
  * **one-sided Character A/Character B**
    * This was the one I added the ‘mostly’ for, when talking about & relationships. I suppose you could technically use this for an & relationship, and that’d be a dynamic I’m interested in seeing, honestly. 



**Characters**

Character tags! These are very important tags. Which characters show up in your fic? Which ones should you be bothered to tag?

Character tags on Ao3 often look like **name (fandom)** . Some tags won’t have the fandom part attached (i.e. **Wilbur Soot** or **Dean Winchester** ), as it’s added when there’s potential ambiguity. For the **Video Blogging RPF** fandom, there are four kinds.

  * They have an ‘online name’ they use, but we are aware of their real name.
  *     * **[Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Clay%20%7C%20Dream%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\))**
    * **[Dave | Technoblade](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Dave%20%7C%20Technoblade) **
    * **[Toby Smith | Tubbo](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Toby%20Smith%20%7C%20Tubbo) **
  * Their ‘online name’ and their real name are more or less the same, maybe with the addition of something Iconique that makes them recognizably them. These tags look like the aforementioned regular character tags. 
    * **[GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/GeorgeNotFound%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\))**
    * [T **ommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/TommyInnit%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\))
    * **[Wilbur Soot](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Wilbur%20Soot)**
  * They have an online name, and we may or may not know their real name. It’s likely that these tags were canonized before we knew their real names, or that it’s just not common enough knowledge. 
    * **[Eret (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Eret%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\))**
      *         * Sidenote: tagging just ‘Eret’ without specifying **(Video Blogging RPF)** will redirect you to the tag of Eret from _How To Train Your Dragon._ I’d say something else here, but I feel like that’s all that really needs to be said. 


  *     * **[Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Sapnap%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\))**
    * **[Antfrost (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Antfrost%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\))**
  * We know their full real name. 
    * **[Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Phil%20Watson%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\))**
    * [K **arl Jacobs**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Karl%20Jacobs)
    * **[Darryl Noveschosch](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/darryl%20noveschosch)**



Don’t worry, I also have no idea why Tubbo got classified as ‘Toby Smith | Tubbo’ but Phil and Bad didn’t get classified as ‘Phil Watson | Philza’ and ‘Darry Noveschosch | BadBoyHalo’. Sometimes tags are not super consistent. You just gotta write part of their name and let autofill do the rest.

There are some sub-categories of character tags you can use to specify their role in the story. However, when it comes to filtering, these will still show up under the big character tag. It’s more for your readers than Ao3’s system. 

...okay I was gonna make a list of them, but in hindsight, it’s really only **mentioned Character**. 

The rule of thumb when it comes to tags like these is just to ask yourself - does it make a big enough difference in the fic to warrant it being mentioned? For example, [ this fic I wrote with fensandmarshes ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27989397) technically has seven character tags. You’ll notice the seventh is ‘mentioned niki’. 

**This will not redirect to Niki’s tag.** The way I wrote it makes sure of that. If you wanted it to redirect to Niki’s, you would need to add a ‘Nihachu’ somewhere in there, to make it clear to Ao3 which Niki you’re referring to. However, I chose not to, because she doesn’t make a big enough appearance in the story. She has no dialogue at all, just a name mentioned once or twice. I only put her in the tags at all because I simp for her (which is also why I namedropped her in the fic. For anyone curious. Author confessions). 

However, [this fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27981402) I wrote also uses a ‘mentioned’ character tag, but this one redirects. Why? The tag itself is **mentioned** **GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)** \- as everything after the ‘mentioned’ makes it clear who it’s referring to, Ao3 registers this as a redirect. I chose to tag this one like this because even though I didn’t bring up his name, George’s actions off-screen partially drove the plot of this fic.

Clarifications, as pointed out by fensandmarshes: The first type of ‘mentioned’ tag that I did with Niki only works if you keep it vague enough that Ao3 doesn’t register which Niki you’re talking about. For example, **mentioned technoblade** would definitely redirect to Technoblade’s character tag. The safest best is to put ‘mentioned’ tags in the Additional Tags category. I am a clown who does not do this. You should. 

Nothing is stopping you from putting them in the Character tags, just be sure that the name you put down is vague enough. You can also go the rambly path, like I did in the tags of [ this fic ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27893080) (‘fundy + quackity make a brief appearance and have dialogue’), but these aren’t official ‘mentioned’ tags. 

So it’s really mostly about your own personal vibes and how much you feel it’s relevant. Please don’t tag characters who aren’t relevant within the fic - people may see this fic that looks like it’ll have their favorite character, but then will be disappointed when it’s just a throwaway line about how they weren’t home.

*update: we did it!! **Hopeless Romantic Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF)** next? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is on Additional Tags!
> 
> sidenote: not ao3 fucking up my formatting T-T


	3. Additional Tags

**Additional Tags**

This is going to be long, and I am tired, so bear with me. There are many tags I haven’t listed in each category - feel free to go to ‘post new work’ and then put a keyword into the Additional Tags text box to see what pops up. [ Here is Ao3’s ‘Tags’ page, which you can search by. ](https://archiveofourown.org/tags)

There are a _lot_ of Additional Tags. As such, using them can be a little difficult! I like to start with setting tags, i.e. universe tags.

  * **Alternate Universe - X**
    * There are a lot of these tags. Common ones include [**Modern Setting**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Alternate%20Universe%20-%20Modern%20Setting/works), [**Soulmates**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Alternate%20Universe%20-%20Soulmates/works) **,**[ **Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Alternate%20Universe%20-%20Everyone%20Lives*s*Nobody%20Dies/works), **[Coffeeshops& Cafés](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Alternate%20Universe%20-%20Coffee%20Shops%20*a*%20Caf%C3%A9s/works)**, and [**High School**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Alternate%20Universe%20-%20High%20School/works)
    * This is a very short list of the dozens there are. Type **Alternate Universe -** into the tag bar, and let autofill do the rest of the work. If you have something specific in mind, feel free to write it out and see if it’s an existing tag.


  * **Canon X**
    * [**Canon Divergent**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Alternate%20Universe%20-%20Canon%20Divergence/works)
      * This technically falls under **Alternate Universe -** I believe, but I’m sorting it with the rest of the canon type tags.
      * This is exactly what it sounds like; it diverges from canon. For example, if you were writing about the events of the SMP, and wrote a story where Tubbo left with Tommy when he was exiled, you would add this tag.
    * **[Canon Compliant](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Canon%20Compliant/works)**
      * Complies with canon. It’s not necessarily true, but there’s nothing in canon to suggest it _isn’t_ true.
      * With the Dream SMP example, again: writing Tubbo and Dream as siblings. Technically canon compliant.
    * **[Not Canon Compliant](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Not%20Canon%20Compliant/works)**
      * Self-explanatory. 
    * **[Canon Universe](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Canon%20Universe/works)**
      * Set in the universe the canon story is set in. For Harry Potter, this would be within the Harry Potter universe and not, say, a no-magic AU.
      * There are many other **Canon X** tags, but these are some of the most common.



Other tags I like to use and I think fandom, collectively, should use more of are the **X Ending** tags. This describes how the fic is going to end; personally, I don’t mind spoilers, and I hate walking into a fic without knowing how it’ll end. Honestly, I am the kind of person who needs a Does The Dog Die but for fics. 

These are exactly what they sound like. Here are a few common ones:

  * **[Happy Ending](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Happy%20Ending/works)**
    * Admittedly, this tag is usually attached to a few other words, like [**Angst with a Happy Ending**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Angst%20with%20a%20Happy%20Ending/works) or [**Eventual Happy Ending**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Eventual%20Happy%20Ending/works)
  * **[Bittersweet Ending](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Bittersweet%20Ending/works)**
    * They won the war, but they’re not sure the cost was worth it. They found their missing lover again, but they’ve moved on with someone else. 
    * This ending tastes like burned sugar.
    * Ugh, sorry. It’s late and this is usually when I do most of my narrative writing, so this is getting a little prose-y. 
  * **[Ambiguous/Open Ending](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Ambiguous*s*Open%20Ending/works)**
    * The ending is… unspecified.
  * **[Hopeful Ending](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Hopeful%20Ending/works)**
    * Think _The Song of Achilles._ There is hope, but what happens next is left up to the reader.
  * **[Sad Ending](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Sad%20Ending/works)**
    * Exactly what it sounds like.



After this, think on canonized fandom- or character-specific tags you may want to put in. These tags tend to be very broad in range, and cover everything from timelines to who tops in a relationship. If it’s something you’ve seen a lot of people writing before (such as siblings!Tubbo and Dream), check to see if there’s a tag for it!

For the Dream SMP, these might be tags like:

  * **[Pre-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Pre-Manberg-Pogtopia%20War%20on%20Dream%20Team%20SMP%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\)/works)**
    * Yes, this is a real tag. Yes, it is long. However, it’s one of many useful timeline tags! It tells readers when your story is set.
  * **[2020 L’Manberg Election on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/2020%20L'Manberg%20Election%20on%20Dream%20Team%20SMP%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\)/works)**
    * Again, timeline tag that is useful for telling your readers when the story is set. A lot of fandoms will have tags like this - if it’s a book series, try sorting by book. TV shows, by season and episode.
  * **[They/Them Pronouns for Eret (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/They*s*Them%20Pronouns%20for%20Eret%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\)/works) / [Multiple Pronouns for Eret (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Multiple%20Pronouns%20for%20Eret%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\)/works)**
    * These are character-specific tags - when something has been used enough for a character that Ao3 canonizes it as a tag.
    * Fun fact! My friends and I once canonized the ‘[Nonbinary Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Nonbinary%20L%C3%A1n%20Yu%C3%A0n%20%7C%20L%C3%A1n%20S%C4%ABzhu%C4%AB)’ tag, which was neat.
  * **[Dave | Technoblade and Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Dave%20%7C%20Technoblade%20and%20Wilbur%20Soot%20and%20TommyInnit%20are%20Siblings/works)**
    * Another example of fandom-specific tags. There are quite a few sibling tags on Ao3 for various Dream SMP members. 
  * **[Clay | Dream-centric (Video Blogging RPF)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Clay%20%7C%20Dream-centric%20\(Video%20Blogging%20RPF\)/works)**
    * An example of if a fic centers around one person. Replace the name with anyone as you please. 



If your fic is a slash fic, here are some tags you might find helpful. 

  * [**Pre-relationship**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Pre-Relationship/works) / [**Pre-slash**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Pre-Slash/works)
    * The relationship has not yet developed. This is the tag you might use for[ **First Meetings**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/First%20Meetings/works) or [**Meet-Cute**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Meet-Cute/works)fics (both of which are also tags you can use!)
  * [**Developing Relationship**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Developing%20Relationship/works)
    * They’re in that weird stage before they officially start calling themselves partners, but like, they’re going on _dates._ Or maybe they do call themselves partners, who knows. Either way, the relationship is still in the early developmental stages. 
  * **[Established Relationship](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Established%20Relationship/works)**
    * The main relationship in this fic has already formed, and the characters are officially and fully together. 
  * **[Past Relationship(s)](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Past%20Relationship\(s\)/works)**
    * The relationship is, sadly, over. This one refers to the main ship of the fic less often than the others - however, the past relationships are usually relevant or brought up in some important way.
  * **[Getting Together](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Getting%20Together/works)**
    * This is half a relationship tag, half a content tag. This tag states that the fic you are about to read is about the two (or more) pieces of a ship getting together. 
  * **[Fake/Pretend Relationship](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fake*s*Pretend%20Relationship/works)**
    * It’s the classic fake dating AU. 



After all these tags, I start thinking about the general content tags, of which there are many. Like, if all the tags on Ao3 are the fauna of the natural world, these are the insects. But don’t worry! Here’s a few of the big ones, just as a starting point - read over your fic, see what happens within it, and try keywords in the text box just to see if anything shows up.

  * **Angst, Fluff, &**
    * [Angst](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Angst/works) and [Fluff ](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fluff/works)are both big tags on their own, which can cover majority of oneshots posted on Ao3. 
    * However, both of these tags have variations which are followed by an &. For example, [**Fluff & Humour**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fluff%20and%20Humor/works) is common, as well as [**Angst & Hurt/Comfort**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Angst%20and%20Hurt*s*Comfort/works). 
    * They each individually have variations as well, such as [**Light Angst**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Light%20Angst/works) **.**
  * **[Hurt/Comfort](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Hurt*s*Comfort/works)**
    * Good ‘ol hurt/comfort. My friends commonly refer to me as ‘hurt/comfort hoe’, so I have to say this is a favorite tag of mine. There are, of course, variations upon this tag.
    * **[Emotional Hurt/Comfort](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Emotional%20Hurt*s*Comfort/works)and [Mild Hurt/Comfort](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Mild%20Hurt*s*Comfort/works) are both filterable tags! These are two of the more common narrowed-down H/C tags on Ao3.**
    * Other variations upon the tag itself include [**Hurt No Comfort**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Hurt%20No%20Comfort/works) (which is exactly what it sounds like) and [**Comfort No Hurt**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Comfort%20No%20Hurt/works)(which is also exactly what it sounds like). 
  * **[Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Plot%20What%20Plot*s*Porn%20Without%20Plot/works)**
    * This is what is commonly referred to as a PWP. Fics tagged with this are purely smut.
    * There is a variation of this tag, known as [**Porn With Plot**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Porn%20With%20Plot/works). This is not referred to as a PWP. These fics are exactly what they sound like, which is a plotty and porny story. 



It is so telling of how bad I am at tagging that I’ve already run out of ideas. HOWEVER - other tags I commonly use include [**Cuddling**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Cuddling/works), [**First Kiss**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/First%20Kiss/works), and [**First Meetings**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/First%20Meetings/works) **.** Other tags that other authors commonly use include [**Enemies to Friends to Lovers**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Enemies%20to%20Friends%20to%20Lovers/works), [**Families of Choice**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Families%20of%20Choice/works), [**Slow Burn**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Slow%20Burn/works), or [**Canon-Typical Violence**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Canon-Typical%20Violence/works) **.**

Again, [ here is Ao3’s official ‘Tags’ page, with the most popular tags on the first page and a search bar. ](https://archiveofourown.org/tags)

Some other tags I wanted to talk about are things I’d sort into the ‘other’ category of Additional Tags. For example, trigger warnings! Tag those. [**Eye Trauma**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Eye%20Trauma/works), [**Drug Use**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Drug%20Use/works), and [**Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Implied*s*Referenced%20Sexual%20Assault/works) are all things you should tag, for example.

You may also see a tag like [**Character Study**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Character%20Study/works) or [**Relationship Study**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Relationship%20Study/works) pop up. By Merriam-Webster’s definition, this is an ‘analysis or portrayal in literature of the traits of character of an individual’. These tags fall under what I like to think of as ‘type of fic’ - other tags under this category would include [**Vent Fic**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/vent%20fic), which… apparently isn’t a canonized tag? Strange, I see it so often. So I suppose that one technically doesn’t count. I assume Ao3 has a reason for not canonizing this one despite its popularity. 

(Edit 1: Very very helpful comment from a tag wrangler (on chapter four!) has said that the reason **Vent Fic** isn't a canonized tag is that it falls under the 'No Fandom' category, which currently isn't being worked on. So it may be canonized in the future!)

(Edit 2: after a commenter's question, I'd like to also note the existence of the **[Dead Dove: Do Not Eat](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Dead%20Dove:%20Do%20Not%20Eat/works)** tag, which, by Fanlore's definition, 'is a warning or tag used to indicate that a fanwork contains tropes or elements that may be deemed morally reprehensible without explicitly condemning the sensitive aspects.' Essentially, it tells you that this fic is dark, and makes no effort not to be.)

Further commentary on tags involve more meta ones, such as[ **I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/I%20Wrote%20This%20Instead%20of%20Sleeping/works)and [**Not Beta Read**](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Not%20Beta%20Read/works) (the latter of which is often replaced with ‘no beta we die like [insert dead thing, ideal, or character]).

Like I said, Additional Tags are super broad. Feel free to just open any kind of tag on Ao3 and begin flipping through fics for ideas, which can honestly be really helpful. Also, reread your fic and note major plot points, like you would in English class. You don’t have to write them down - just keep them in mind, and see if any can be converted into tags. 

That about wraps up all the different sections!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is just some final thoughts/notes by me, resources, and contributors.


	4. Final Thoughts

**Final Thoughts**

Again, welcome to Ao3! I hope you enjoy this site! Ao3 was built on a philosophy of “for fans, by fans” and is made to host **whatever anyone wants to write** , **regardless of what it is** (this is also why you’ll find Ao3 has looser policies on controversial subjects than other hosting sites) so I’m super glad to have you here, contributing your ideas to fandom :) You may have noticed people online talking about how Ao3 tends to have more ‘quality’ stories - this is true, but largely in part due to the age demographics, and has nothing to do with Ao3 itself. **Please don’t worry about the supposed ‘quality’ of your work.** You’re doing fine already, and can only get better with time <3

Some final thoughts that aren’t necessarily related to tagging:

  * Uh, if you read that rant fic I was referring to, you’ll notice they said something just blatantly untrue about oneshot books. **Oneshot books are very common** , in all sorts of fandoms here on Ao3 (like, please just look at how many Kinktober/Inktober fics there are). Do your thing.
  * Related to this, authors who take requests are also fairly common! Do your thing!
    * However: **if the author has not explicitly said they take requests, do not request things**. There’s a notable difference between “wow, if you ever wrote more of this I’d love to read it!” and “please write more!” The former is okay; the latter is, generally, not.
    * Not all authors feel as strongly about this as some do, but most will have an opinion on it. 
    * Fanfiction is free to read and hard to produce. Unless the author has indicated you can, do not explicitly request or ask for things. 
  * People on Ao3 generally refer to each posting as ‘fics’ or ‘works’, not books. There’s nothing wrong with calling them books, but you may cause some confusion.
  * Large blocks of tags can get hard to look at - keep your tags as relevant as possible!
  * Please feel free completely free to leave any other questions you might have in the questions! And yes, this is a case where I will be taking requests for any other tutorials or guides you may want. No guarantee I’ll write them, but I’m open to the idea.
  * And please let me know if all the hyperlinks were necessary lol, I’ve been doing the last section for ‘Additional Tags’ and the entire time I have been wondering if I even need them. 
  * If you ever want a beta, feel free to message me on Twitter [@sxlaine](https://twitter.com/sxlaine)! No promises, but I’ll do my best to help you out.



**Resources**

[ Ao3’s FAQ ](https://archiveofourown.org/faq?language_id=en) (includes tutorials for lots of things)

[ Ao3’s Tags FAQ](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/tags?language_id=en)

[Ao3's Policies on Posting](https://archiveofourown.org/tos_faq#content_faq)

[ ao3commentoftheday ](https://ao3commentoftheday.tumblr.com/)

**Contributors**

All the thank yous and love to [ fensandmarshes ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fensandmarshes/pseuds/fensandmarshes), who beta read this for me and corrected spots that were wrong or confusing. Additionally, he added some great clarification lines of his own (for example, the whole spiel on the Dan & Phil tag), did half my hyperlinks, and just is an all around Cool and Great Person. (we also write cool fics together sometimes that are really cool so if you’re into dnf there is some cool stu- *i am forcibly removed from the tag guide*)

Also thank you to [ space_enjolras ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_enjolras/pseuds/space_enjolras) for, alongside fensandmarshes, clearing up some misconceptions I had about the Category tags!! Much love, Space <33

And thank you to [Phantom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aetherpunk/pseuds/aetherpunk) from the [ DreamTeam Safe Space discord server ](https://discord.gg/sk5BpVRVt5) for also giving me a quick beta when I had just joined the server <3 

Thanks to Ao3 for creating this wonderful site with an Amazing tagging system that takes a lil bit to get a handle on, but works so wonderfully. Yes, I have been scarred by Tumblr, why do you ask. 

And of course, thanks to the person who initially wrote the rant, for motivating me to actually write this guide lol. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you found this helpful <33
> 
> edit feb 11 2021: i'm sorry i keep date-boosting this but there are still so many mistagged fics (especially smutfics - some of us like to filter out explicit fics, and some explicit fics are mistagged as mature or even teen) and my friends are enabling me, so i guess this is my villain arc. general psa; it is mostly frowned upon to date boost fics. jsyk


End file.
